John T. Floore Country Store

The John T. Floore Country Store (known colloquially as Floore's Country Store, or just Floore's) is a music venue and dance hall located in Helotes, Texas. The John T. Floore country store is notable for its association with various artists within Texas Country. The store is especially well known for its association with Willie Nelson, who performed at the store on a regular basis early in his career. In 2006, the store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, indicating its significance.[1] Floore's Country Store is renowned for its musical performances, and was nominated for "Nightclub of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music in 2006 and 2013.[2]

John T. Floore Country Store
Store as of 2012

History

Floore's Country Store was opened by John T. Floore, former manager of the Majestic Theater in nearby San Antonio. Opened in 1942,[3] the store was initially opened as a grocery store to cater to travelers between San Antonio and neighboring Bandera. However, Floore saw another opportunity. The Silver Spur Dance Hall in Helotes and The Cabaret Dance Hall in Bandera were prospering; Floore felt the addition of a new music venue would benefit travelers in the area.[4] Floore was able to use experience gathered from his time spent at the Majestic Theater and book notable country artists.[5] By the 1950s, the store was well established as a music venue and began to attract country music stars such as Ray Price, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, and Ernest Tubb.[1]

Association with Willie Nelson

Floore's takes pride in its association with Willie Nelson, and claims to be his "musical birthplace".[3] Willie Nelson and John T Floore established a relationship upon Nelson's return to Texas. Nelson had encountered difficulty in establishing a music career in Nashville, who according to Massey (2010), "didn't appreciate his different style of singing".[6] Nelson and Floore entered into a professional relationship together: Floore would partner with the Willie Nelson Music Company, with the stipulation that Nelson perform at Floore's on a monthly basis.[1][4] Consequently, The John T. Floore Country Store became closely associated with Nelson and his musical career. Nelson has even paid tribute to Floore in his single "Shotgun Willie" in which he mentions Floore by name.[1]

Reportedly, parts of the 1994 film 8 Seconds were filmed in the store.[3]

See also

References
  1. Handbook of Texas Online, Andrew Gray, "Floore Country Store," accessed September 16, 2017, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/xdf02.
  2. Academy of Country Music. "Winners Search Results", accessed September 16, 2017 https://www.acmcountry.com/winners 9/16/17
  3. Floore's Country Store. "Our History", accessed September 16, 2017, http://www.liveatfloores.com/about/
  4. Trevino, Geronimo (2002). Dance halls and last calls: A history of Texas Country Music
  5. Burges, M. (2013). There's No Place Like Floore's. Texas Highways. accessed September 16, 2017, http://www.texashighways.com/travel/item/476-there-s-no-place-like-john-t-floores-country-store-helotes
  6. Massey, C. L. (2010). Helotes. Charleston, SC:Arcadia Publishing.
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